Reform Jersey

Reform Jersey is a social-democratic political party in Jersey, a British Crown Dependency in the Channel Islands. It is currently the only registered political party in Jersey.

Reform Jersey
LeaderSenator Sam Mézec
ChairmanLyndsay Feltham[1]
Vice-chairmanDeputy Geoff Southern
SecretaryAnne Southern
TreasurerYann Mash
Founded2012 (registered as party on 4 July 2014)
IdeologySocial democracy[2]
Political positionCentre-left
ColoursRed & Blue
States Assembly
5 / 49
Website
http://www.reformjersey.je/

History

Formation

Reform Jersey was founded in 2012 as a pressure group by Montfort Tadier, Nick Le Cornu, Jasen Cronin and Sam Mézec.[3] On 24 April 2014, Deputies Mezec and Le Cornu announced that it would become a party to contest the 2014 general election scheduled for October.[4] It was legally registered as a political party at the Royal Court on 4 July 2014.[5][6] Reform Jersey founding member Deputy Nick Le Cornu was expelled from the party in September 2014.[7]

Candidates

For the 2014 general election on 15 October 2014, Reform Jersey put up eight candidates. Deputies Sam Mézec, Montfort Tadier and Geoff Southern were re-elected but none of the new Reform candidates were successful.[8]

In the 2018 general election on 16 May 2018, the party returned four deputies (including new Deputies Robert Ward and Carina Alves), with Mézec gaining a senatorial seat.[9] Mézec is now the Minister for Housing and Children in the government.

Policies

The party states its support for a living wage, progressive taxation, 26 weeks statutory maternity leave, construction of affordable housing, and democratic reform of the States of Jersey[10] and the parish system.[11] Their 2018 campaign, included the message, ‘improving the standard of living’.

Reform Jersey supported and campaigned for the legalisation of same-sex marriage[12] and organised a rally in support of equal marriage on 12 July 2014,[13][14] prior to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Jersey on 1 July 2018.

The party's 2018 election manifesto, Working For A Fairer Island,[15] promised tax reform, grants to cover the cost of university tuition fees, a rent freeze on the social housing sector, an empty property tax, and electoral reform of the States of Jersey to introduce one type of States member elected in equal-size constituencies. It also expressed support for a universal healthcare system, free at the point of use, and promised to reduce the cost of GP visits. The manifesto also supported the conservation of Jèrriais.

The party supports environmental activism. On the 30th of April, 2019, party chairman Mézec addressed a rally of local Extinction Rebellion activists in the Royal Square.[16] On 2 May 2019, during a debate in the States Assembly, Deputy Montfort Tadier called for “ecological socialism”[17] in response to anthropogenic climate change.

Reform Jersey’s “‘New Deal’ for Jersey”, first published on the 1st of June 2020 and inspired by both the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt and contemporary proposals for a Green New Deal, calls for free access to primary healthcare, extended rent freezes, reduction of the qualifying period for unfair dismissal, and continuing income support and debt write-offs for low-income islanders.[18]

References
  1. "New Chairperson for Reform political party". www.jerseyeveningpost.com. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  2. "Welcome to the Reform Jersey website". www.reformjersey.je. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  3. "The Blog of Deputy Sam Mézec: Reform Jersey". Sammezec.blogspot.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  4. "BBC News - Deputies line up Jersey's only political party". Bbc.co.uk. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  5. Tom Gruchy (4 July 2014). "Tom Gruchy: "Reform Jersey" - first political party since 1204 registered on 4 July 2014 in the Royal Court - (Samedi Division on a Friday)". Tomgruchy.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  6. "Campaign group becomes political party - Jersey News from ITV Channel Television". channelonline.tv. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  7. "Jersey deputy's 'sexist Twitter comments unacceptable'". BBC News. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  8. "– States of Jersey Elections". Vote.je. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  9. "Mézec – and Reform – ride the rollercoaster to a Senatorial seat". jerseyeveningpost.com.
  10. "Reform Jersey : A Political Party for Jersey". Reformjersey.je. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  11. "The Blog of Senator Sam Mézec: The Parish System - What Democracy?". sammezec.blogspot.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  12. "BBC News - Gay marriage proposition lodged by Reform Jersey". Bbc.co.uk. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  13. "Pressure on States to allow same-sex marriage - Jersey News from ITV Channel Television". channelonline.tv. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  14. "BBC News - Jersey meeting over equal marriage study". Bbc.co.uk. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  15. "Manifesto 2018 - Reform Jersey website". reformjersey.je. 4 August 2018.
  16. "Senator Sam Mézec speaks at the climate change rally in the Royal Square - Reform Jersey on Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  17. ".@StatesAssembly on Twitter". @statesassembly. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  18. "The 'New Deal' for Jersey" (PDF). www.reformjersey.je. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
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